Yuki Chen

The idea that flight search engines transform the impact of local events into something concrete is a dangerous simplification that ignores the reality of small actors and communities.
These platforms show prices, often already inflated by these same events, without really helping those who have the most difficulty traveling or the local small merchants.
Where is the advantage for the independent guide or the owner of a small inn, who cannot compete with large hotel chains that have booked all rooms at exorbitant prices, thanks to these same platforms?
The capacity of the most vulnerable to travel fairly is directly impacted by this view.
A trip to Dakar during the Saint-Louis jazz festival is often out of reach for many because of prices that soar, long before search engines "materialize" them.

Thinking that we can escape bias by adding just one or two points is like believing that a small sip more will change the taste of an entire glass. It's not a matter of "more" or "less" when talking about selection, but rather understanding why these specific points were chosen. It would be better to consider the diversity of use cases to see if the three platforms cover all real needs, or if we only look at what these three have to offer.

Even if the initial inspiration is often there, you still need to think about unforeseen events that can change the entire trip. For example, an unexpected strike at the airport or a border closure can force you to reconsider everything, even if the initial idea was already well established.

Honestly, the idea of standardizing everything through inspiration alone ignores what has always been done. Historically, people first look for a good deal, not an illumination. When bookings were made through agencies, no one asked the travel agent to inspire them; they asked for prices and dates.

Information about Barcelona and its travel costs certainly exists, but considering it as a subsection of a Netflix-like interface is a bit hasty in drawing conclusions. Historically, travel guides, agency brochures, or even detailed postcards already described destination information long before any digital interface. Content is content, and presentation is just a vehicle; like saying that a restaurant menu is an integral part of the storefront.